Wonder how to work catwalk cool into your own closet? Here’s how to translate the trends for real life.

Done right, lace can be lovely, graceful, feminine and sweet. As an accent, it can also soften up a tougher look or give just a pop of pretty detail to an outfit. But it can be tricky to pull off. You don’t want to look dowdy. Or cheap. You don’t want your lace to be overpowering. Or inappropriate. And no one wants it to result in a peep-show. Well, unless you’re Fergie.

To help guide us in how to wear lace, we checked in with image consultants and personal stylists Kristen Mueller and Hannah Witte of Denver-based Polished Personal Style. Fergie, take note.

THE RUNWAY: Jill Stuart, spring 2013
A prim and proper black lace dress gets a dose of scandal when it’s sheer on the runway. Again, if you’re not Fergie (see the 2012 Grammy red carpet), a lining will keep you from being too exposed.

Lace looked lovely on the Jill Stuart spring 2013 fashion show during Mercedes-Benz Fashion in New York. (Photo by Mike Coppola/Getty Images for Mercedes-Benz)